Memories
by Essenze
Summary: A snowy memory between a Colonel and a Replica. Sweet, sappy, genfic. Oneshot.


Title: Memory

Genre: General

Warnings: Oneshot. Slight OOC? Sap. Shounen-ai if you blink

Rating: G fluff

Notes: Excuse me, all, while I use this fic to scrape the rust off my brain. checks profile Wow… it's been almost five years since I last wrote any fanfiction worthy of posting. sigh I need to get back in the game…

This was originally supposed to be a drabble, but it somehow… expanded, lol. This honestly was not what I was expecting to be my first ToA fic, but what can you do.

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"Jade…"

Jade dusted off the old text he was reading and stared up at the newcomer. He didn't often like intruders in his office- his dear Emperor could attest to that. "Yes, Luke?"

The young replica refused to tear his eyes away from the ground, scuffing his shoe a little. "Do you… remember?"

"Remember what?"

The redhead cast him a shy glance. "Your past… like, when you were a kid?"

"Having another moment of dejection, are we?"

"Just answer the question."

The colonel chuckled, and slowly set his book down. "Yes, I do remember my childhood. Bits and pieces of it, anyways."

"Pieces?"

"Yes, pieces. Events. Details that change your life, that stick out in your mind." Jade stood, and slowly glided over towards the bookshelf, "May I ask what brought this on?"

Luke hugged his shoulders, "Natalia was laughing over something with Tear in the shops this morning. When I asked what it was, she held up a pair of earrings and said that when we were kids she'd always wanted me to buy her jewelry, and I'd always refused." He turned his eyes downcast. "Then she caught herself and told me to never mind, it was something that had happened with Asch."

Jade sighed. Depression seemed to be a recurrent trait in replicas, and he was no psychologist. Then he smiled, a far cry from his normal patented evil grins. Perhaps there was something he could do for this one.

He strode towards the door, and grabbed Luke's arm tightly to drag him along. "Follow me, Luke."

The two strode out of the military compound and into the streets, weaving through the thinning crowds. It was getting cold this time of year, and people wanted to go home early, so no one paid any mind to a tall brunet in a military uniform dragging a slighter boy unwillingly along at his side. They made it to the park next to the citadel just as sky began to turn to twilight.

Luke breathed deep, his breaths coming in short puffs of white floating to the sky. He sniffed at the cold. "Why'd you bring me here?"

Jade merely sat on a bench and smiled his ever present smile, "This is a place of memories Luke."

Luke whipped around, his short hair barely catching the lightly flurrying snow, "This place? But we've passed through here a million times. What's so special about this place?"

Jade stared at the falling snow, "Years ago, I saw my first Grand Chokmah snowfall in this very spot. Coming from Keterburg, I thought the day I'd see snow again would be too soon, but…" Luke watched in awe as Jade's expression changed. Never would he have thought the older man could be so… peaceful. It was a beautiful sight. "Saphir and I were heading to the citadel to give our report to His Majesty when the snow started to fall. I remember how we just stood here in awe. Saphir reached out a hand to catch the snowflakes, and we both watched as they melted." He paused, in deep thought. His eyes had darkened, as if they were weighed down by some unseen force. He rubbed at them softly.

"We both realized that the snow made Grand Chokmah feel a little more like… home. It's one of the few things that do, no matter where I go."

Luke smiled to himself. He could see a young Jade and Dist standing here, mesmerized by a piece of their childhood coming back to them.

"So what about you?"

Luke blinked, taken aback. What did Jade mean, what about him? The colonel raised one elegant gloved hand in Luke's direction, catching the snow on his fingertips. "What memories does the snow bring back for you?"

Ah. Luke closed his eyes. He felt the cool softness on his face, and could almost remember… "Guy brought me out to play one morning in Baticul, and there was an inch of snow on the grounds. I'd… never seen snow before. It was so beautiful and white, like cotton falling from the sky. Guy taught me how to make a snowball that day, and I threw it at Natalia." Luke laughed breathlessly, eyes twinkling like the first stars in the sky. "That day I felt so happy just to be alive."

Jade leaned in closer, "And does that memory have anything to do with Asch?"

Luke blinked, "No, of course not, I didn't even know he existed at that time…"

"Exactly."

Luke stared at Jade in wonder. Of course. He felt as if he could cry.

"Just because Asch was there before you, doesn't mean that you were never there at all. I'm sure if you reminded Natalia about this incident she could talk about you, because it was time she spent with you, not Asch."

Luke smiled, "Thank you, Jade."

As the snow fell softly around the city, people were in too much of a rush to take in two figures standing in front of a park bench. The young redhead had his arms wrapped loosely around the taller man's waist, giving a hug of thanks. The elder, dignified brunet looked a little perturbed, and a little wistful.

"This will be a good memory for me, won't it?"

"All of your memories can be good, if you let them."

"This one certainly will be, and I'll never forget it. Will you?"

"You're quite unforgettable."

Though he certainly didn't want this new memory to overshadow the old one, of Grand Chokmah in the snow.

//END//

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Thank you all for reading, please leave a little review for an old soul like me…


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